Hot baths???

[EElse]

Hi ladies!

I've read that hot baths or hot tubs can influence a man's fertility. Can the same happen with woman? For the men, it is said that the heat from the baths influence the growth of the - they even say to keep laptops off the laps...

Just wondering if the fact that I love to soak in a warm bath is actually detrimental to our ttc journey? The fact that our BBT gets higher after ovulation and with pregnancy gives me the idea that it shouldn't be a problem but I just want to make sure...

Anyone have any idea?

 

[EElse]

I found this on another site:

Avoid hot tubs and sauna
Stay out of saunas and hot tubs. They have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage. They can raise your core body temperature which can cause dehydration and threaten the developing baby.

It is only for those who are already pregnant but I think if you are trying to conceive, knowing that you are at an increased risk of miscarriage if you take hot baths or go to saunas and hot tubs, I would try to avoid it. So, there goes my nice long hot soaks in the bath...

 

[bunyhuny]

Hey hunny!

Hot tubs are fine for healthy men in MODERATION. A fifteen minute soak a couple times a week is fine. Fellas just can't go around soaking for hours a week. That's bad news. At this point, doctors say that the worst offenders for hindering a man's reproductive health are laptops on the lap, and cell phones in the pants pocket. Those are the big ones. Next up is potentially BPA- receipts are coated in it, so guys get a dose of BPA every time they hit up the check out line. Not good.

As for us ladies, hot baths are not good during the TWW and during pregnancy. If our core body temperature goes over 102 it can hurt the baby. Doctors are not 100% sure on the reason that heat causes fetal injury/death, but the leading concerns are that high core temp decreases blood flow to the fetus and can also cause the fetus to overheat. No matter what the reason, we know that a core temp over 102 can cause birth defects and miscarriage. If you need some pampering and relaxation, pick up a foot spa and soak your feet while sitting in a cool room with your hand and head uncovered so that your body can regulate. It's relaxing as anything, and can even help relieve foot issues during pregnancy.

 

[EElse]

Thank you Bunyhuny!

This is very informative and I appreciate the fact that you replied. I'll keep my bath at a reasonable temp from now on

I'm sorry for your loss (reading your sig). Good luck with your ttc journey and I hope that you get a sticky bean very soon!

 

[bunyhuny]

Thanks hun. Good luck to you, too! TTC can be frustrating at times, that's for sure!

I forgot to mention- You can soak as much as you want to during AF and the days leading up to O. I cleared that with my RE during my first IVF cycle. I was so sore from all the eggs that I needed a good soak, and she said it was totally fine.

 

[EElse]

Thanks! I'll make sure to take advantage during that time then...

Good luck to you. and

 

[EElse]

bunyhuny: I saw another post where you commented - One about CP and CM and you provided a very helpful link on how to correctly interpret your CP.

After reading the post and the information in the link, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions?

I only started charting on my January cycle (after a 41 day cycle which was very unusual for me but my doctor said I probably O'd later and not to worry about it).

My cycles used to average about 28 - 30 days. January/February cycle was 35 days and this one seems to be 37 (I started spotting so I'm pretty sure the will be here by tonight).

I know that having 35-37 days average for a cycle is long but is it indicative of fertility problems? Also, my LP is 2 days longer this cycle.

I temp vaginally but when AF is here, I temp under my arm (I always keep the thermometer there for five minutes before reading the result - whether vaginally or under the arm), should I continue doing it this way or should I just skip my temps when AF is here? Does it influence FF's interpretation of my stats?

One last question... On the 12th (CD29) I temped at the same time as always but FF put an open dot and not a solid one. I know it doesn't influence the crosshairs but is there a reason why they would do that?

I hope you don't mind all the questions but you seem very knowledgeable.

Thank you!

 

[bunyhuny]

I'm about to head to bed, but I want to try to answer your questions before I do. Here goes!

Having a cycle that is 36 days or less is considered totally normal. Having your cycle slowly get longer and longer isn't as normal if it isn't age related. (How old are you?) Having your LP start getting longer isn't normal either. Not to say that either signify a huge problem, but it's definitely not "normal", especially if you're under 36 years old.

Over 36 days is considered abnormal no matter what.

For any of these issues, it's worth having blood work done at CD3 to check to make sure your hormone levels aren't doing something weird. Getting a CD "21" blood draw at 7dpo to check estrogens and progesterone can also help doctors to get a better picture of your overall fertility levels. It needs to be done on 7dpo though, not actually on CD 21. A doctor who insists on CD 21 isn't worth what you're paying to being there.

CD 3 blood draw usually tests LH, FSH, all estrogens, and sometimes progesterone.
CD 21 tests progesterone and sometimes estrogens. (You want estrogens done, some doctors just don't check them on 7dpo for some reason.)

As far as temping goes, switching temping types is a no go. The vaginal temp and the under arm temp cannot be the same. It just doesn't work that way. Vaginal is by far more reliable, so if you're going to temp, that's generally the best way to go. If I were you, I'd start vaginally temping as soon as your period switches from flow to spotting. (Temps are erratic during flow anyway. They're only helpful for women who O very early in their cycles.)

You need to temp each of the 10 days prior to O to get the best visual reading by a person. It helps to establish pattern and people don't have a zillion charts in their head to pull from like FF does. If you ever need chart reading help, people will appreciate having the 10 days prior to looks at. It will also teach you how your cycles work so that you can predict what is happening a little better.

As far as FF goes- Skipping days near O will affect your reading. The 6 days prior to O are what your coverline is based on and they affect how the software analyses your chart.

Lastly, FF will leave a hollow dot for a few reasons. If you check "sleep deprived" on the "specifics" page you get a hollow circle, and same with temping more that about 29 minutes outside in either direction of your temp time average. I think there may be a couple other reasons, but I'll have to look them up tomorrow.

 

[bunyhuny]

If I missed anything or if you have any more questions let me know. I'm sorry if that wasn't all super coherent; it's been a long day! G'night!

 

[Bee Bee]

I have read its not good for male sperm or possible fetuses. I personally have an issue where my temp drop significantly before falling asleep, because of that I sleep with a heating pad until I get warm. Typically I put it in my gut, but I can only do that through AF and until I finish my femara. Then once I start BDing, I have to put it on my legs even though it doesnt help as much because I dont want the heat to cook any spermies. And I also keep it on my legs during the TWW to protect any possible babies.

 

[EElse]

Thank you both!!

bunyhuny: Thanks for the reply and yes, it was coherent.
Ok, so I'll just skip temping during AF and start again as soon as it stops or slows down to spotting. I am turning 31 this year.
Yesterday the spotting turned into full blown flow (even if it was light) so I changed the spotting to "light" and thus my cycle ended up being 36 days (last one was 35) and LP was one day longer than last cycle.
I'll keep an eye on my cycle lengths and if they go longer than 36 days or vary too much then I will make an early appointment with my doctor (my next appointment is only in September).

I did not know that the 6 days prior to O was the most important data to determine crosshairs, so I'll be sure to get those right - at the moment my husband wakes up at 03:30 in the morning and then wakes me up so I can take my temp. I fall back to sleep almost immediately but at least it gets done. Over weekends I'll set my own alarm for 03:30 (I haven't been doing that) so that my charting can be more consistent.

Thank you very much for all your answers, it will definitely help us.

Good luck to you both and may we all get our soon!

 

[sweetB]

I just wanted to mention re: the hot bath thing that I loove really hot baths but also didn't want to do anything that might hurt implantation during the 2ww or beyond. What I did was to buy a bath thermometer for babies (its a turtle and I got it on amazon for less than $10). It works great! When it turns up "red", I wait a bit for it to cool down before I get in. I never realized how hot the water in my bath can actually get!

 

[EElse]

Thank you sweetB! I just might get myself one of those...

Good luck to you!

 

[bunyhuny]

That's a really good idea, sweetB. I might have to grab one of those.